Beautifully written, loved the poems, and the links to nature. There should be warnings about the content of the book including child abuse. It was sadness, upon sadness, upon sadness, with little to no hope.

I really loved “Betty” so when I saw Tiffany McDaniel had a new book I was super excited. On The Savage Side once again did not disappoint. The book grabbed my attention from the beginning and didn’t let go even after it was over. This story really draws on the trials and tribulations of what it means to be a woman. Tiffany McDaniels is a sensation and such an excellent writer.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐈’𝐕𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑💔

Also 100% the most painful. But the writing😩😩😩😩😩. Hands down, this book is a gut wrenching work of genius. It’s utterly brilliant.

Reader be warned: only embark on this journey if you’re ready to have your heart broken💔

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭:

ON THE SAVAGE SIDE is an exquisitely written, brutal book about the horrors of addiction, abuse, prostitution, racism, poverty, and lost innocence. It follows two twins, Daffy and Arc, as they grow up in Chillicothe, Ohio. The twins cope through magical thinking and imagination leading to a very whimsical writing pattern that starkly constrasts their day to day horrors. I will say it again: this book is BRILLIANT.

𝑻𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔: 𝒅𝒓𝒖𝒈 𝒖𝒔𝒆, 𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒆, 𝒑𝒆𝒅𝒐𝒑𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒂, 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒈𝒆, 𝒂𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒆, 𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓, 𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆, 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.

This is an incredibly challenging novel to read. It took me the better part of 3 months to get through. I had to take breathers ALOT.

I think reading powerful books like this one breeds empathy and understanding of the human condition past what we may know in our own lives. I highly encourage you all to pick it up if you haven’t read it yet.

Take care of yourself while reading it, or read it with a buddy. I’m always here to discuss and talk so don’t be a stranger if you do pick this one up. Thank you @stephonashelf for helping me get through it!! It’s tough but it’s beautiful.

ON THE SAVAGE SIDE is actually based on the true and unsolved case of six murdered women but it truly does not read like a true crime novel, it’s so much more.

I started with the physical copy and then switched to audio. Listening to the novel helped me get through it🎧🖤

This one is difficult to figure out what rate. It was very dark and disturbing at times, but the writing felt like a work of art. I held on for a glimmer of hope that the story would turn around. While a bit long, I loved that the book read more like literary fiction than a thriller.

As much as it physically pains me to do so, I’m going to have to agree with my pal Dan 2.0 when it comes to Tiffany McDaniel’s style . . . it’s probably not for me. I looooooooooved Betty and agree that there is an excellent story within the pages of this latest release regarding a series of prostitutes who are found in Chillicothe, Ohio (inspired by the true tale of the “Chillichothe Six”). Unfortunately, it was so mired in the purple prose that I could not feel all of the feels that I was supposed to be feeling. I have actively avoided The Summer that Melted Everything for fear of being a wrongreader and I will probably continue to do so for the foreseeable future since the main complaint was regarding how it too was overwritten.

Also, I already dislike a face cover, but if you're going to commit to one at least get it right. One sister lipsticked her TOP lip, the other the BOTTOM. Stuff like that drives me batshit.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

On The Savage Side is a literary thriller, and by that label, author made a point by making it a deep, atmospheric and sometimes heartbreaking story about women. Loosely based on the Chillicothe Six, the unsolved mysterious murders of six women of Ohio, this book is about twin sisters who are inseparable, Arcade (Arc) and Daffodil (Daffy).

With a father who drowns himself in drugs and mum who uses sex to earn money, the sisters find peace and love in their grandma. Growing up listening to her, and loved by her, her lose engulfs them into a darkness. They find friendship in other women in their community, whose lives are no longer in their control. With drugs and prostitution affecting their everyday life, they still try to get back to the other side but they return back to the same place.

This book is emotional. And not the least bit expected. There were so many times that I actually wanted to DNF, not because the writing wasn’t good but it was too good. It was, from the first page, was different, atmospheric and were so full of unexpected encounters and turns.

This is a different book, branched out from what I’d normally read and I just couldn’t put it down.

On the surface, I thought this book would be exactly my kind of read: a small town, female-led thriller. I never got in the mood to finish it, but I did do a pub day feature on Bookstagram as the publisher graciously sent me a finished copy.

This book. Oof.

Stunning writing. SO LYRICAL. Passages and sentences I would love to highlight and keep with me. But the content is brutal. REAL, and brutal. There were many times I thought I’d stop reading because it was so much to handle. But I’m glad I finished.

The topics are so hard but also so important. And she writes about them with honesty.

This is the most trigger warnings I’ve ever attached to a book, so please look them up. For someone without many triggers this was still a highly difficult read.

DNF @ 36%

I will admit I went into this with a bit of prejudice when I realized this was the author of The Summer That Melted Everything; or as my old book club called it, “The Surprise Cannibalism Book.” Living in Ohio, the missing women from Chillicothe are a well known thing and something about this read disingenuous to me that I can’t put my finger on. The POV of the river also rubbed me the wrong way.

Thanks Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I need time to sit with this one, I am so incredibly blown away by McDaniel’s talent - but this was SO heavy I am still reeling. More thoughts to come, for now, FIVE STARS.

This is based on a true story of the killing of women in Ohio. Six women go missing, and the others left behind grieve and fear for their own lives.

Very dark and disturbing, but well-written.

An eye opening read about the cruel & sad sad world of children growing up in an addiction environment. Based loosely on the tragic story of the Chillicothe Six… author McDaniel did a marvelous job of writing on a subject that was brutal from start to finish. At times it was hard to read (trigger warning) the abuse, neglect and drugs was only the beginning. The impact of the story will be one I will not soon forget.
Thank you #NetGalley, #OntheSavageSide & Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage & Anchor for the ARC.
This is my honest review. Definitely keeping Tiffany McDaniel on my radar after this one!

Thank you net galley for providing me this copy! Giving this one a 3..5 Star rating. I havent read this author before so I was def looking forward to this one. The story was well written and you get a lot in this book when it comes to emotions. Some parts were hard to read and very sad. So yes this book was definitely a dark read. I do think it could of been shorter in length but overall the story was really good and would read more by this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the tagged publishers for this copy of Tiffany McDaniel's latest novel, On the Savage Side. This was my first time reading her work and while I have seen great things about Betty, I don't think I was prepared for how heavy this book was. Don't get me wrong, I love sad books but this was bleak.

On the Savage Side follows Arc and her twin sister Daffy through life. Coming from a home affected by opiate addiction, resulting in the death of their father, it appears they never really had a chance. It jumps between the past and present, where we see the girls have fallen into a life of addiction and prostitution. All the while, girls are turning up dead in the river.  As I said, this book is heavy so please look up trigger warnings!

I did enjoy this book but it took me a while to get through. I had to put it down after every few chapters for a breather. There's addiction, abuse, death, violence, grief, just so much harrowing content. However, the writing is stunning! Some parts were writing so beautifully it hurt! It was eye opening too and I think McDaniel really captures what it's like for women in this world.

* Please look up trigger warnings before reading *

Everywhere I look I see rave reviews for this one, but honestly this one was not for me, but it might be for you!
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Thank you Knopf and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I like dark but this was not one for me. I also didn’t like the writing style. It felt too poetic for my taste. Thank you for giving me a chance to read it.

Once in a blue moon, a book comes along that just knocks the wind right out of you. This was my experience with this book. The writing is exceptioinal, the plot is captivating, and the characters burrow so deeply in your consciousness that they haunt you long after you’ve turned the final page. On the Savage Side is an absolutely brutal story about addiction and the destruction it causes across many lives. This novel was beautified written but hard to read and makes you hope for a happy ending. This is not a light read for the faint of heart, and there are many triggers, but if you can overcome those, it is well worth it. My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

I loved Betty - could not wait to grab this new release from McDaniel.
First - thank you for writing a story that must be heard. We must have more women's stories; we must change the narrative - inspire our cultures to protect their women, their future.
Inspired by the Chillicothe Six, McDaniel gives them a voice - we MUST LISTEN.
Arc has carried the women in her life always - her mother and Aunt Clo, her group of sisters on the street. Dual timeline - showcasing Arc's beginning and end.
Addiction has a start - childhood most often the catalyst, abuse in the dark. Violet's began with the birth of her daughter - a prescription from her trusted dr.
Harsh. Brutal. A MUST READ. Poetic. Gentle as the river.

I don't think I've ever read a book where the writing was excellent, and yet I resented the story so much. Forgive me, I'm still not sure how to explain this one. Tiffany McDaniel is an outstanding writer, but this novel is so dark, depressing and full of tragedy that I wanted it to end as soon as I started to read it. It took quite a while to finish this, and I had to also read other books in between to break up the agonizing onslaught of trauma. I kept anticipating some levity, but it never arrived; rather, things simply became worse and worse for the main characters with each chapter.

The plot follows sisters Arc and Daffodil as they grow up under some of the most dreadful circumstances imaginable. Their parents are drug addicts, and the majority of the women in their lives are prostitutes who allow the children to be sexually abused over and over again. The two girls never stood a chance from the moment they were born.

I can see why readers give this book a high rating, but because I despised the plot so much, I'll give it three out of five stars for the excellent writing alone. I'm not sure exactly what I expected when I chose the book, but I didn't expect to walk away with a strong disdain for people and humanity. If you enjoy a deeply gloomy and distressing read, this is the book for you. Otherwise, skip it, no matter how good the writing is.

i haven’t been able to stop thinking about this one since reading. it was heavy. it was powerful. it was disturbing. it was heart breaking. tiffany mcdaniel is something else. the way she writes is so lyrical; so beautiful even when describing the most gruesome circumstances. this woman could write anything on any topic and i will be first in line to read it.

this book tells the story of twin sisters, Arcade and Daffodil, who it seems have the entire world against them. they have grown up stuck in a generational cycle of abuse, drugs, and poverty, and they want to break it. more than anything, they want to escape it all. as they grow older and fall further into the chaos they were trying to avoid, their friends begin to go missing. one by one, women are found floating in the river. inspired by the unsolved murders of chillicothe six, we see the untold stories behind each of these women. their friends, lives, families, & their dreams. as death circles closer, is Arcade able to drag herself and her sister out of the depths? or will they be pulled into the current that has been rushing toward them their whole lives?

i mean, that description enough should be enough reason to read! i fell in love with the characters. they give you hope and then immediately let them down. the imagery and metaphor threaded throughout by mcdaniel, very much tied into folklore, is so haunting and stunning. the imagination of the twins is so vast that you begin to forget what is their reality, just as they are attempting to do. at the end of the day, this is a beautiful story about the strength and resilience of women, and a powerful elegy to those that are missing.

thank you so much to tiffany mcdaniel and knopf publishing for reaching out & sending me a digital arc of this work! it was an honor.